eTourism Developments in Greece: Information Communication Technologies adoption for the strategic management of the Greek tourism industry

Abstract

Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have revolutionised the travel industry in the last decade. eTourism reflects the digitalisation of all processes and value chains in the tourism, travel, hospitality and catering industries. It emerges as a term describing the entire range of applications of ICTs on tourism and the implications for the tourism value chain. Major opportunities and challenges have emerged and need to be addressed by all industry players. However, the level of eTourism developments varies between regions, countries and continents. The key objective of this research has been to examine the eTourism developments in Greece as a country that is gradually embracing eCommerce . In particular the research examines the level of ICT diffusion in Small and Medium–sized Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs) as well as whether the level of online presence is sufficient to cover for the lack of Destination Management System (DMS). Results indicate that the Greek online travel market is at the early stages of its eCommerce deployment but it demonstrates great potential for further eTourism developments. However, the low level of co-operation between SMTEs and the serious doubts about the ability of the National Tourism Organisation to co-ordinate the destination makes the prospect of a DMS development in Greece questionable. The research concludes that ICT-enabled local co-operation can potentially assist SMTEs to enhance their competitiveness and increase their global presence.

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